1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of sports conditioning exercise machines, and more particularly to an exercise machine for conditioning football players to pivot the upper body relative to the lower body by forcefully moving the hips in a roll and drive motion upwardly through a resistive weight load to accomplish the most effective and powerful offensive or defensive blocking movement.
1. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the sport of football, the most effective way to block an opposing player is to advance toward the opponent while moving horizontally in a crouched position, and upon making contact with the opponent, to exert an explosive force vertically upward on the opponent which tends to lift the opponent off the ground. The player doing the blocking must smoothly and quickly pivot the upper body relative to the lower body by forcefully moving his hips in a roll and drive motion upwardly through the weight load to accomplish the most effective and powerful blocking movement. This explosive movement employs the leg, hip, abdominal, back, arms, shoulder, and chest muscles in one explosive movement.
A strong athlete is not necessarily a powerful athlete and strength alone will not acheive the best results on the field of play. In blocking actions, the explosive movement requires the athlete to lift a heavy resistive weight over a full range of upward movement at a high rate of speed. While an athlete may acquire strength from lifting weights, powerful blocking technique requires performing multiple sets of reptitions of the desired movement at a predetermined weight load within a predetermined number of seconds.
While there are many devices which teach the art of blocking, none of these devices promotes the mastery of, or conditions the muscles in the manner utilized in the explosive hip roll and drive motions described above. Most of the conventional blocking devices merely train a player to charge towards an object, and provide some resistance to the force exerted by the charging player.
There are several patents which disclose various exercise machines for conditioning and strengthening athletes and other apparatus particularly designed for training football players.
Brentham, U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,599 discloses an exercise device comprising a handle pivotally mounted on a frame with a hydraulic system connected to the handle to exert a regulated force restraining movement of the handle.
Teile, U.S. Pat. No. 4,357,010 discloses an exercise apparatus for developing selected muscles of the body comprising a rigid upright support having a first beam pivoted on a horizontal axis near the top of the support and a second beam similarly pivoted below the first beam. The two beams are connected by a telescopic link to move together. Handles and shoulder pads are provided for lifting the first beam and a weight holding rod on the outer end of the second beam receives a selected number of weights to be lifted. The rate of movement of the beams is maintained substantially constant by a hydraulic cylinder.
Palladino, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,103 discloses a training device for football players to train the user in the art of blocking. The apparatus includes a frame which defines an upwardly-sloping track, and a carriage which moves along the track. The carriage is connected by a pulley system to a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder or the equivalent for imparting resistance to the movement of the carriage along the track.
Lundgren, U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,522 discloses an exercise machine comprising an operating bar which can be moved between operating positions at least 180 degrees apart, and a sprocket on the axis of motion carries a chain connected to a lever for exerting a near constant reaction force or torque. A bellcrank on the same axis carries weights that provide a variable force or torque on the movable bar. The user assumes one position to exercise the biceps and another position to exercise the triceps.
The present invention is distinguished over the prior art in general, and these patents in particular by an exercise machine having a frame with a generally rectangular base. The athlete stands on a platform at the rearward end of the base. A horizontal shaft rotatably mounted on a pair of vertical frame members near the forward end of the base has a central sprocket at its center and smaller sprockets at its outer ends. A weight supporting member pivotally connected to a pair of upright frame members extends forwardly therefrom and a selected number of weights are received on the outer end of the weight supporting member. A pivot arm pivotally connected to the upright members extends forwardly therefrom and has an elongate lift arm secured thereto which extends angularly upward and rearward therefrom toward the platform. A hand grip bar at the outer end of the lift arm is positioned a selective distance above the platform has two sets of hand grips for griping the bar in two positions. A first chain wrapped around the central sprocket has its free end connected to the pivot arm and a pair of second chains each wrapped around an outer sprocket in the opposite direction have their free ends connected to the weight supporting member. When the lift arm is raised by an upward force on the hand grip bar, the pivot arm pivots downward pulling the first chain down causing rotation of the central sprocket and outer sprockets which causes the second chains to pivot the weight supporting member upward with the weights at the outer ends thereof resisting the upward force applied to the hand grip bar.
The present exercise machine is particularly useful in developing the ability of an offensive or defensive lineman to smoothly and quickly pivot the upper body relative to the lower body by forcefully moving his hips in a roll and drive motion upwardly through a resistive weight load to accomplish the most effective and powerful blocking movement. The present invention conditions and strengthens the specific muscle groups employed in this explosive movement. The invention can also be used simply as an exercise machine, even by persons who are not trying to improve their blocking skills.